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Suppressors and short barreled hunting rifles

To the OP, figure out what bullet you want to shoot and how far you want it to perform on game. Then work backwards to a cartridge that can get you there. 308 based cases will run out of gas with the speed loss from a short tube. Figure 200-250fps for most cartridges.
 
rickiesrevenge said:
To the OP, figure out what bullet you want to shoot and how far you want it to perform on game. Then work backwards to a cartridge that can get you there. 308 based cases will run out of gas with the speed loss from a short tube. Figure 200-250fps for most cartridges.
Click to expand...
Going from what length to what length?? It is usually 20-25 fps per inch of barrel loss as a general rule of thumb..
 
My grandpa's 30-06 I inherited has a 20" barrel and works great. Slower than a big long barrel? Sure. But it's not like it's suddenly worse than a 308 with a 24" barrel just because it only shoots 165gn at 3000fps.

I think a 6.5 Creedmoor makes sense for this. It fits a short action well and there's ammo everywhere (normally) if you forget yours. 6.5 bullets have a lot of sectional density, carrying energy onto target way out there. The 6.5x55 has been used for more than a century in Europe and around the world to take big game and the Creedmoor duplicates the performance of most of the ammunition available in 6.5x55 because old small ring Mausers can't handle modern cartridge pressures.
 
I have shot some pretty big animals at a pretty good distance with a 308. It does pretty decent in a short barrel if you load it up towards the top.

I'd consider a fast twist 308 in the 18" range shoot 175-200 grain as fast as you can.

I have a 338 federal with a 16" barrel that puts out some very respectable velocities also. Didn't read the whole thread to see what caliber can you have but when you neck up a 308 case efficiency goes up also.
 
I’d build a 308 and never look back.

Now if you want to hunt at shorter ranges like about 100 to 150 yards I’d look at a 458 SOCOM, but that’s not what you asked.

My suppressed 308 is a 22“, it would be a bit more nimble with a shorter barrel and the next one will be an 18”.

I do have a suppressed SOCOM too... haven’t killed anything yet, but it will. Damn it’s fun.
 
DirtySteve said:
Going from what length to what length?? It is usually 20-25 fps per inch of barrel loss as a general rule of thumb..
Click to expand...

Have you tested this rule of thumb?

Examples of "short" barrels I have are;
5x 14-15" silhouette 6mm Dasher barrels easily get 2700fps with a 105 and are accurate. Normal loads of Varget
4x 17-18" 7mm Dakota 180vld or hybrid retumbo is 2780fps in my last barrel, RL33 is 2900+
18" 300RUM 230 hybrid 2800fps
14" 35WSM is 2700 with a 225 AB. IMR4895 got a lot more speed but wasn't accurate in my pistol
14" 284win 142 lehigh 2650fps
2x 18" 6mm long dashers have been 2900fps with 105 hybrids

Smaller calibers like 17s and 20's seem to be more effected than larger bores like the 35wsm.
 
People that don’t shoot short barrels, anemic cartridges or even worse, anemic cartridges in short barreled rifles often sell them short.;)

200 fps loss by chopping off 8” of barrel in a 308 sounds like a lot, but the cartridge sheds that much velocity in less than the first 100 yards. In the grand scheme of things in the hunting world, it’s not that much.

If 75-100 yards will make or break your hunting trip, you probably need a bigger gun anyway.
 
The 284 Winchester is a popular cartridge in Remington XP100 rebarreled with a 14”-15” barrel. Go to the forum specialtypistols.infopop.cc and look at the sub forum Bolt Action, Drop Block, Rotary Breach., where there are plenty of discussions regarding the 284 Win and it varies wildcats. This cartridge though having the case capacity of the 30-06 is a very efficient cartridge. All the gunpowder will be consumed before the bullet leaves a short barrel muzzle. Some people believe that the 35* shoulder has something to do with its efficiency. 284 Win cartridge cases are available from Peterson Cartridge and Hornady, and sometimes Winchester. There is also the 6.5/284 that Lapua offers ready made cartridge cases.

A long time shooting buddy had an XP rebarreled in 284 with a 15” barrel and loaded with H414 and shot at white paper at 10’ and it had no unburnt gunpowder peppering it.
 
rickiesrevenge said:
Have you tested this rule of thumb?

Examples of "short" barrels I have are;
5x 14-15" silhouette 6mm Dasher barrels easily get 2700fps with a 105 and are accurate. Normal loads of Varget
4x 17-18" 7mm Dakota 180vld or hybrid retumbo is 2780fps in my last barrel, RL33 is 2900+
18" 300RUM 230 hybrid 2800fps
14" 35WSM is 2700 with a 225 AB. IMR4895 got a lot more speed but wasn't accurate in my pistol
14" 284win 142 lehigh 2650fps
2x 18" 6mm long dashers have been 2900fps with 105 hybrids

Smaller calibers like 17s and 20's seem to be more effected than larger bores like the 35wsm.
Click to expand...
Well there are numerous tests done on the subject. Some right here on the forum others on PRS forums. Seems like you just want to argue. So I will no longer reply to you on the matter.

.308 Win Barrel Cut-Down Test: Velocity vs. Barrel Length « Daily Bulletin

With barrels, one wonders Can a little more length provide a meaningful velocity gain? To answer that question, Rifleshooter.com performed an interesting test, cutting...
bulletin.accurateshooter.com bulletin.accurateshooter.com
 
I’m not sure how quiet you are trying to get with the suppressor, but the sizes on those vary a lot too. You have some trade offs in how quiet they shoot vs their size, but also the same size suppressors with different designs will produce different sound level results. I have a small one I really like from DeadAir called a Sandman-K that I would use in a deer blind, probably on my heavy LR308 with an 18” barrel, but an 18” 308 bolt gun would be lighter and less bulky to handle in the blind. The Sandman-K is less than half the size of the largest suppressor I have. Also, I really like the KeyMo quick detach adapters from DeadAir. There are some other small suppressors that are higher-rated by some reviewers over on The Firearm Blog.
 
I cut a Sako 995 in 338 Lapua down to 16" and threw a TB 338 Ultra on it. Handles like a 26" barrel and 250 grain Bergers hit like no ones business. Quick Load states 100% burn with any powder and charge I'd normally use so I am not worried about suppressor life. Many "experts" on this forum crapped all over my plan. I'm thrilled with the results. I also have an 18" 308 Win that I run suppressed but mostly with subsonic ammo because it is fun. I could use high velocity loads in it as well, plenty accurate for hunting.

Build what you want, have fun with it. Life is short!
Scott
 
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effendude said:
I cut a Sako 995 down to 16" and threw a TB 338 Ultra on it. Handles like a 26" barrel and 250 grain Bergers hit like no ones business. Quick Load states 100% burn with any powder and charge I'd normally use so I am not worried about suppressor life. Many "experts" on this forum crapped all over my plan. I'm thrilled with the results. I also have an 18" 308 Win that I run suppressed but mostly with subsonic ammo because it is fun. I could use high velocity loads in it as well, plenty accurate for hunting.

Build what you want, have fun with it. Life is short!
Scott
Click to expand...

you have a 16 inch 338 RUM??
 
I think you’ll be happy with anything from a 6.5 creed to a 300wsm and more if you want it.

short barrels and cans are peas and carrots for hunting.

as I said before, they will get compared to 26-30 inch barrels in smaller cartridges, but since you’re not interested in a 26-30 inch barrel it’s just not a relative comparison. A can on a 26+ blows unless you’re in the desert.
 
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